Market Basket looks to add take-out seating in Seabrook

Friday

Dec 30, 2011 at 2:00 AM

SEABROOK — One year after representatives from DeMoulas Super Markets approached the Planning Board with a proposed expansion of the Market Basket store at Southgate Plaza, they reappeared before the board Dec. 20 for approval of a site-plan amendment to add a restaurant-style café.

Nancy Rineman

SEABROOK — One year after representatives from DeMoulas Super Markets approached the Planning Board with a proposed expansion of the Market Basket store at Southgate Plaza, they reappeared before the board Dec. 20 for approval of a site-plan amendment to add a restaurant-style café.

Earle Blatchford, senior project manager for Hayner/Swanson Inc. civil engineers, of Nashua, introduced the concept of a seating area at the front of the store for patrons to eat food of a take-out variety. The store is located at 380—458 Lafayette Road.

Blatchford said the proposal to amend the site plan approval granted on July 12 would encroach on the parking space area, reducing it by 36 parking spaces.

There would be more landscaping as a result of the proposed change, he added.

Blatchford said there would be no change to stormwater, utility service or traffic issues already addressed and approved.

The area under discussion appeared as a bump-out on the site plan, showing an increase in the sidewalk area, and more relief on the building front for pedestrians, according to Jim Lamp of J & Company Engineering and Development, of Bedford.

The original proposal of DeMoulas Super Markets, Delta & Delta Realty Trust and RMD, the owner-applicant real estate holding company for Market Basket, was presented at a Planning Board meeting held in January 2011.

Specifics of that proposal included a voluntary lot merger at 380-458 Lafayette Road, making way for the demolition of the former Honey Bee Donut Shop and allowing Market Basket to expand its retail space to include the almost 5,000-square-foot donut shop site at the northwest corner of the Route 1 property.

Town Planner Tom Morgan recommended to Planning Board members that the proposal be considered administratively complete, but also suggested that the change be reviewed by the sewer, water, and public works department heads.

Planning Board Chairman Don Hawkins commented on whether the plans should be considered administratively complete without department head review.

"My only reservation with that is that this is a very extensive set of plans," Hawkins said. "It may not be necessary for technical review but due to the size of the project, it's their right to have a look at this proposal."

Hawkins said he believed that department heads should have the opportunity to examine the plans to agree that nothing has changed from the previous site plan.

Selectman Aboul Khan, an ex-officio member of the Planning Board, expressed his opinion as well.

"My main concern (is that) some abutters in the audience want to make sure (the) promises are the same," Khan said, referring to sound and lighting issues previously discussed.

Khan also praised Market Basket as a business that is a "champion" in giving residents of Seabrook employment opportunities.

Lamp said that all conditions including gates, fencing and buffers that were previously approved remained unchanged.

"They want that done by June 1," Lamp said. "(They) want to get the store as complete as possible by spring."

Hawkins recommended giving conditional approval rather than a final decision.

Resident Kevin Ryan, an abutter who lives at 30 Railroad Ave., said he had never received information about what style fence would be used between the properties. He said he would like to see a sound and light fence such as Lowe's erected for abutters of its property.

"As far as the proposal goes, I like it and I like their food," Ryan said.

Hawkins said plans called for an 8-foot stockade fence and a buffer of pine tree plantings.

Lamp said the area in question would be employee parking, for the most part.

Planning Board members supported a motion to grant conditional approval while the amendment to the proposal goes to technical review Jan. 9.

Market Basket will return to the Planning Board on Jan. 17, regardless of what transpires at the technical review meeting.

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